A Desperate KRLJ

Posted on October 5, 2011

It’s Wednesday, the day of continued progress with KRLJ on channel 3. The good news is, I am caught up. But the bad news.. not even Ken and Janie’s chemistry can save this lakorn from the direction it’s heading to- the world of oblivion, a lakorn only to be remembered by their smoldering gazes in Prague. If you are a Ken-Janie fan, you will get the cuddly, hug and kiss scenes that you desire, and for many, that may suffice. But if you are looking for a “good story” and a story that isn’t completely on the surface level, then perhaps you can bow out of this one. Originally I was hoping that KRLJ will take us down a wonderful, memorable road…

I posted an article previously in regards to their smoldering chemistry and a quick synopsis and overview of the lakorn, but today, I want to delve into their lighthearted, superficial and non empowering views of the characterizations of the cast. Are you ready?

The plot of the lakorn is about a daughter of a millionaire, Bua, who is desperate. She is educated, rich, beautiful on the surface. Her mom is desperate as well- not for money, but for her own self serving ranking in society. So she doesn’t see anything wrong with forcing her daughter to marry a rich, hi so man. She was arranged to be married when she was younger, and look how great she turned out? Bua disagrees with her mother’s command to marry a man she does not love, Chatchai, but instead of facing her problems and reasoning with her mom like a mature adult. She runs away and shames herself and family further by masquerading as a prostitute so she can make her childhood crush fall in love with her. What is her plan to make him fall in love with her? She would cook, clean and do all of the duties many cliched lakorn writers seem to think will keep a man under your thumb. She is also accommodating, sweet, angelic.. but.. what is her true character? From what I gather or what is given to us so far, she is a naive woman whose goal in life is to marry Ran (her experiment with true love.) She has practically thrown herself at him, makes it convenient and with her kind heart, hopes to god that he loves her for who she is. Her initial goal is to have him love her back.. however, now that he’s telling her that he cannot love her or marry her because she’s a prostitute, she refuses to tell him who she really is. Why? Because we have to prolong this lakorn that’s why.. and she wants him to love her for her, not for her money. When did that become a question?

Then we have Ran. He’s desperate too. His mother wants him to marry a rich, hi so female, and to get out of getting married, he lies to his mom (and he hates liars lol) by hiring a prostitute to be his girlfriend. The thing that doesn’t make sense, is that his mother sends Aom and his sister to Prague so he can get to know her. His thinking: I will truly try to get to know Aom and if she is suiting to my needs as a wife, then I will accept her, all the while, I have a prostitute on hand should it not work out and I’ll have a reason to combat my mom. As far as Ran’s character, he’s a smart man (because he’s the secretary to the Ambassador), he’s handsome.. but unfortunately, the lakorn is also showing that he’s attracted to pretty girls (both Bua and Aom) and succumbs to females ploys and manipulations. He can’t seem to see someone beyond what they show him. So let’s add un-intuitive and not very street smart to his character. Although one thing we know, that he constantly repeats, is that he values work over anything. He cannot marry or love a prostitute because it will cost him his career. But to me, he just seems shallow, takes advantage of the situation and well.. selfish. There’s no extra depth to this man. Finally at the end of episode 10, his friend Phet tells him maybe he should consider what is more important to him, love or his career? I don’t know if I can take this anymore..

Desperate, yet again, seems to be the key word to describe the other characters. Rin- Ran’s sister who is so desperate to continue her education that she will selfishly do anything.. We also have Aom who is being led by her mother to set her caps on Ran because of his wealth and prestigious family name. She only cares about shopping, spending money, thinking about sleeping with men and well, manipulation. Then there is Katoon who blindingly helps her friend become so wrapped up in her lies. Is that what true friends do? It’s easier to help guide someone when it is not you who will face the consequences. She can’t even be honest about her feelings towards Chatchai..

It seems like only Chatchai- the man who is painted as the bad guy from the beginning, seem to make sense. So he agrees to marry Bua and has become possessive of it. At first he seems like a crazy guy who would not stop.. but really, he’s just angry because she doesn’t have the guts to tell him herself that she will not marry him. He’s a grown man, he can take it. So he goes off to Prague (even this is an exaggeration) and tries to find her. When she tells him that she has a boyfriend and is in love with someone else.. he is hurt, but he accepts it and moves on. Phet even though he’s a playboy, at least his character has some depth. Deep down, he’s a sucker for the one he loves. He’ll help his sister in her lies because he loves her and doesn’t want to see her disappointed. Also, he is a really great actor! I thought he has good chemistry with his sister Bua, Katoon and Rin.

Not only does this lakorn has such a cliched, shallow plot, there’s no character dimension. It’s like someone asked Ken and Janie, take a break from serious “acting,” go to Prague and lets video tape you guys eat, sleep and walk around Prague- and can you throw in some sizzling hugs and kisses? There’s no value or message to the viewers. You know, I really have thought that lakorns have grown from being so surface level, horribly cliched and depthless characters. These miniseries have the opportunity to tell us a good story, a story that not only will teach us something, but should make us think. Am I optimistic that the climax of the lakorn would change my mind? Unlikely.. Ran will probably admit his feelings to himself and love Bua, and when he decides to hell with his career, he’ll find out that Bua is not a prostitute but a rich girl. He’ll be angry because he has told her that he does not like liars. Bua will probably regret it (as she has regretted falling in love with him) as she is the one who masqueraded everything. But no need to fret because everything will work out in the end and they’ll live a happily ever after.

I suppose one should enjoy it for what it is.. at least Ken and Janie has great chemistry *winces.* So am I going to watch ep 11? I am this far along.. might as well bite the bullet.

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25 Comments

Sorry to hear that KRLJ isn’t working out. I decided to give this lakorn a miss after reading the synopsis even though it starred Ken and Janie – both of whom I love – because the story sounded lame and unfortunately it has turned out to be so. D:

Do Thai artistes get to pick their projects or are they ‘assigned’ to one by the elders of the station? Though I assume the top artistes get more say on what they take on.
Livejournal is down for maintenance at the moment so I’ll reply you on the Rome/Yaya lakorn later. 😉

Ok, I thought it was just me lol. Do you know if there is a way I can follow your blog without being a Livejournal member or a stalker? I’m fine with the latter but was wondering if there was a shortcut 🙂

In answer to your question (and I’m just hypothesizing as I’m not in the industry) and anyone who has more knowledge of this can feel free to chime in: actresses get recommended to do projects, let’s say they have signed a contract with ch.3 or ch.7, the elders would approach them with a lakorn and they sort of get to say whether they want to do it or not. Most newbies take it if an elder thinks they should do it. The hot shot gets to well, call all of the shots. They can afford to be selective. So in essence, if they have like 2-3 projects presented to them, they can choose, however, if they have only one, well, it’s a matter of putting food on the table so perhaps they choose to take it. But the Thai ent industry are really possessive of their n’eks (that is if they are assigned to a particular channel.) Also, each actress has an agent as well, so it is up to the agent to essentially sell the n’eks. It is frowned upon however, should the n’ek disregard or go against her agent’s views or her channel producer’s views. It is pretty sheltered I would say..

http://blobofcolour.livejournal.com/tag/ -> you can check out my tags here later tonight or tomorrow when LJ is back. It’s still loading real slow atm. I’ll be revamping my layout and tags soon to make it easier to navigate but it might take a while since I’m not so good with these things! I think you might have to continue checking my blog as and when you want to because I don’t think they have notifications for non LJ users.

Sometimes I forget acting is a job for the artistes and they have to consider a lot more things other than the script when taking or rejecting a role. But it’s always a shame when good actors get lousy projects and vice versa.

Yay the link finally worked! I’m not sure if I will pursue this lakorn then, I don’t want to tear my hair out with the cliched-ness (as you have almost done that yourself.) Especially after enduring KRLJ lol.

I agree with you on good actors getting lousy projects.. it is unfortunate.

I guess it depends on what you prefer to watch.. I would say that Ken and Janie have many snuggling and kissing scenes and they are cute together.. Hell, I don’t know why I keep trying to find good things about KRLJ, it must be because I love Ken-Janie together and wished it was better. 😦

Lol, hey it’s a good time to have it on because when you’re doing the dishes or cleaning the bathroom, Janie is doing the same thing! Not much to miss. (Is that mean?) It’s never a doubt that Ken is a total eye candy.. hehe.

I really did enjoy the first 6 episodes. Now I am in it to see Ken and Janie’s hugs and kisses. I am so disappointed. I just don’t get Chatchai. He just suddenly decided to drop his playboy ways and get together with Bua’s close friend. And what is Ran’s purpose, okay his career is important to him, but saying he can’t love Bua because she is a prostitute makes him a big time jerk! I wish they would go back into their childhood, I wonder what made Ran so irresistible to Bua. This had a really good start, I was expecting a lot of character development. But nope. None. I am only watching it now to see how it ends. If I hadn’t love the beginning so much, I would have quit on episode 7.

Oh Fia, I know exactly your disappointment–well, I haven’t caught up on KRLJ enough to tell it’s become a disappointment; but I’ve experienced before how the cast is just wonderful and then, and then, and then…their characters fall short and the plot drives me mad, and yet I somehow find it in my powers to watch to the end. But I think I might save this one for times when I’m bored, since I myself have started to grow tired of Bua’s not-so-smart plans. I don’t understand how she is convinced she’ll make Ran fall in love with her as a prostitute. Couldn’t she have just tried to seduce him as the perfect lovely lady she is? lol, and Rin is very cute, but as you’ve pointed out, all of the characters are too desperate. It’s usually at least one or two in a lakorn who will go to these ridiculous lengths but the whole group of them is being this way, and just not to my liking. Except, I have to agree that Nott is absolutely charming, except with his visits to the “massage parlor”,

I’m actually enjoying this series so far. Some good eye candy in this series and it allows me to see some of the sights in Prague while I’m in school. But once I start working again, I’ll go back traveling abroad again when I get a chance.

@Ne, @Maychengy, I’m glad to hear that it appeals to you both, and I’m sure, to other fans as well. How was last week’s episode? Does it seem like it will end this week or next? I’m planning on finishing this lakorn, but will wait until the ending airs.

Last week ended with Ran and Rin’s mom getting a beat down from her bookies for owing $10M THB. Ran and Bua are engaged, but she hasn’t fessed up to who she really is. I’m actually digging the other couples Chatchai and Toon and Phet and Rin more now. They seem so pure and carefree. 🙂 I think this series will end in the next two weeks. I don’t see it being dragged out much longer than that. Lol

Thanks for the overview of last week. I suppose I will have two more weeks until I watch the ending then! I like Phet and Rin couple too but was confused at how she fell in love with him so quickly when she so detested him from the beginning.. perhaps his playboy wiles (like stalking her and telling her all the time that he loves her..) has finally worked on her, lol. Enjoy this week’s episodes! I’d love to find out how you like it as well, hehe. I love a good lakorn chat as much as the next crazy, lakorn fanatic!

Yea! I didn’t get how she did a 180 with her feelings. But I don’t know how he fell in love with Rin either. I mean…. all he knows about her is that she hates playboys, is a grad student, Ran’s little sister, and their mom is a gambling junkie. But Note is cute. I first saw him in 365 Wun Hang Rak with Anne and Ken. Bummed out he ended up single at the end of that lakorn. Glad to see his character ends up with someone in this lakorn.

Funny how this is actually one of the few Thai lakorns that struck me as having fairly real, gentle and human characters. Usually, hi so or not, the women come off as screaming bitches and the men as nasty predators. I do not think Ran is at all shallow, he clearly has feelings for Bua, but given his cultural heritage, and his social status within his culture, would of course, find it difficult to admit “everlasting” love for someone with such an unsavory lifestyle. Yes, we can all be as modern as we like, prostitution is unsavory to some of us, including RAN. As a mother of 3 boys, growing up in a country very open-minded like Thailand seems to be, i would STILL be shocked if one of my sons wanted to marry a PROSTITUTE!! Come on, his reaction is about the only believable thing to the entire plot!! He is a gentleman, and his finally sleeping with her is not because he is LUSTFUL – this is the first sign that he is actually in love.

For instance, which ELDER brother would not have dragged his sister back to Thailand kicking and screaming ( given the same cultural backdrop to the story)?

I agree the story line is juvenile, but not every story has to solve the world’s problems – this is entertainment, not social commentary – but I am not sure what you people call acting…to me Ken is doing a fine job of being a decent all-Thai guy who is trying to get out of an arranged alliance. His facial expressions are subtle and effective. He acts the part very well within the constraints of the script. And, he is NOT dumb, he finds out soon enough that Aum is not his type at all. Strangely, not ALL men think that some Money Market Broker or Company CEO is the ideal wife, some actually DO like their wives to care about them personally and love them by taking care of them. Isn’t the aggressive ‘girl-made-good American type also a stereotype? And a very untrue one at that..since American women are among the most un-liberated women in the world today – their television reflects their idealistic dreams, NOT their reality! Every one wants to be Wonder Woman, few really are!

So I beg to differ with almost everyone who posted. I am enjoying the drama, the actors are doing a great job; the writers are keeping both the intellectuals and the not so profound entertained. And it is short and sweet. No excessive screaming or sneering, no tortuous plot on top of plot – 3 love stories for the price of ONE! What more could you ask for?

Ok so we can agree to disagree. No one is actually saying that Ken cannot act or is doing a bad job acting. This lakorn does not have to appeal to everybody. I respect your views and perspective- however, when you say “American women are among the most un-liberated women in the world today” that is offensive and disrespectful to me and America on so many levels. We are talking about KRLJ specifically, it is unnecessary to bash other cultures or country for that matter.

As an American woman myself, I am sorry that you feel disrespected. The point I wanted to make was that we talk about homemaking women like Bua as stereotypes, and seem to think that the women portrayed on TV ( as promoted by AMERICAN television which is seen all over the world and used as the standard,) are the ideal. But my own observation is that women in America are not as liberated as the fantasy life of TV makes them seem – they suffer the same setbacks as other women all over the world…and the biggest trap we all face is thinking that a woman doing normal “woman”things – caring for a family- is somehow demeaning..

We find a decent, well behaved man in Ran, and immediately the plot is boring…yet somehow Chatchai, who I find thoroughly reprehensible, gets a pass for being “mature”. I guess its is an age gap thing. I admit it, I am old.

Faith, I certainly don’t share some of your viewpoints but I thank you all the same for taking the time and posting your perspectives. I don’t find women caring for their family at all demeaning or repugnant, her dedication to her family is unrivaled and admirable. And just because TV portray a certain character or plot line, doesn’t mean people in their right mind or rational should use it as the “ideal” life. Far from it, it is a fantasy and should be taken as such. We all know what’s real and what’s not. So suffice it to say that we all have our preferences as far as what we choose to watch and they vary from one person to another. I am not young by anyone’s standard and I think the appreciation of this lakorn has more to do with taste than age. At any rate, I’m glad to hear that you’ve thoroughly enjoyed it.

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